Often, I have seen people burdened with a financial secret; something that they have not faced head-on or have been hiding from their families, and it leads to emotional overwhelm. Over the last month, I have had several conversations with a successful career woman who has amassed credit card debt that she cannot pay off…
The Simplest Way To Lower Your Investment Fees
Sometimes, we just make things too complicated in our lives and especially our investments. Darla Mercado of CNBC hits this theme out of the park in her latest piece. Here’s one way to determine if fees are devouring your retirement savings: Open up your mail. About 6 out of 10 retirement plan participants are cracking…
How NOT To Save For College
Saving for retirement is hard; putting money away for college is even harder for many parents. For those with the means, the sharks are circling. 529 plans can be a great deal. These accounts grow without taxes weighing on them and withdrawals are free of taxes when used for education expenses (private K-12, college, graduate…
It’s Labor Day Again…..When Is My Retirement
Labor Day is a celebration of your human capital. One day you will need to rely on your financial capital. Start the process now by reading this week’s links. The 4% rule needs to be modernized. MarketWatch Here are 8 ways to boost your Social Security benefits. InvestmentNews Fixed Indexed Annuities are an awful investment for…
Start Here, Go Anywhere
“If we don’t educate our children about money, one day a broker will teach them lessons they’ll never forget” Jonathan Clements Some people are ahead of their time; think Jack Bogle, Jason Zweig, and Jonathan Clements. Jonathan has always been one of my favorite financial writers. I recall reading his column in the Wall Street…
Timeshares: The Variable Annuities of Real Estate Investing
High fees, illiquid investments, free buffets, and sleazy salespeople. Variable annuity, anyone? Welcome to the domain of “investment” timeshares. The timeshare industry was created in the 1970’s. Instead of selling one condo unit to a solitary buyer, 52 people could purchase them for one week, each paying a share of the price. According to the…
It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?
Your retirement may last for 30 years or more. Changing your strategy because of a bad day, month, or year in the market is a terrible plan. Enlighten yourself by reading this week’s retirement links. Are annuities coming to your 401(k)? MarketWatch Retiring to a small town may not be a good idea. Wall…
Data Over Dogma
The best investment advice often comes from books that have little to do with money. Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, by The Dalai Lama is no exception. The Dalai Lama (the term means ocean of wisdom) is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He has been in exile since 1959, driven out by the…
It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?
If the decline in the Turkish lira has a large impact on your retirement plan, you need a new plan. Read this week’s links to separate the signal from the noise. Source: Michael Batnick Three times as many people 65 and older are filing for bankruptcy compared to 1993. The New York Times Wells Fargo is at…
Hooray for Me, the Hell with You!
When my mother wanted me to be aware of someone’s self-serving nature she would say, “Hooray for me and the hell with you!” That one sentence was a much-needed warning as my tendency was to follow the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”). The trouble is, sometimes you…
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